An Introduction to Trademarks

In marketing, there is a particular strategy known as branding. In many ways, trademarks are designed to protect your brand from use by others.

An Introduction to Trademarks

A trademark is a form of intellectual property. Intellectual property is owned by the person or business creating it. With practically all forms of intellectual property, however, you have to take steps to formally notify the world of your property and protect it.

A trademark is a distinctive mark used to identify a product, company, service or device. When you think about it, you are very familiar with trademarks. At the risk of being sued to the high heavens, the following are trademarks: Coca Cola, Pepsi, Google, EBay and Toyota. Each of these words mean something to you and are readily identifiable with a product or service in your mind. When you think of EBay, you immediately think of an online auction site that was originally created so the owners girlfriend could trade Pez dispensers [true]. When you think of Toyota, you think of cars. This is the power of brand recognition and trademarks are used to protect them.

A trademark is a powerful thing when it comes to the law. If you obtain a trademark, it is binding nationwide and others are not allowed to infringe upon it in an effort to swipe your customers or confuse the public. With your mark, you can sue to stop the infringement and recover monetary damages suffered. Basically, a trademark is a hammer for stopping nefarious conduct cold.

To obtain a trademark, you must have patience, patience and more patience. The mark is obtained through the Patent and Trademark Office. It is a very slow process. You or your attorney do a search to make sure are not in conflict with any previous marks. You then file an application and begin waiting. Within 8 weeks, the Patent and Trademark Office will send you a notification indicating they acknowledge receiving your application. Just receiving it! You will then wait another 6 months or so to hear if the application is accepted. Often you will receive correspondence asking for clarification or raising a problem. You then provide a response and wait. Months will pass. Eventually, the back and forth will come to final result. If your trademark application is accepted, it will be published and you are protected. The process is so lengthy that it is not uncommon for it take well over a year for the application to be approved. In short, you are going to need a lot of patience.

While obtaining a trademark can take forever, it is well worth the effort. Once you have it, you can keep competitors and others from using the trademarked term you worked so hard to establish.

Gerard Simington is with http://www.findanattorneyforme.com - an online attorney directory.Ashely Blog69989
Alisha Blog535

Weddings Rings Shapes and Insurance

What you need to know for wedding rings.

Diamonds: A Guide to Diamond Shapes

EMERALD - This rectangular shaped stone is a very elegant and sophisticated look for a bride.

HEART - A truly romantic statement on any brides finger this stones shape resembles a heart.

MARQUISE - Beautiful as a solitaire, this diamond too is elongated diamond but has pointed ends.

OVAL - This perfectly symmetrical elongated shaped diamond adds length to fingers and is very popular among three stone rings.

PEAR - This shape is derived from combining both the marquise and the oval shaped diamonds. One end is beautifully rounded while the other leads to a point.

PRINCESS - This is a perfectly square shaped stone which has become increasingly more popular among brides today.

ROUND - A circular shaped diamond which has always been a popular and traditional choice for many brides.

TRILLIANT - Shaped like a triangle, the trilliant may have rounded corners or pointed ones and provides a perfect accent to a princess or round shaped diamond.

Appraisals and Insurance

Once the question has been popped, the marriage proposal accepted and the stunning diamond ring is on the finger, now is the time to think about taking care of the engagement ring.

Diamond rings are an investment. It shows the love and commitment to the relationship. It is an investment that will be a reminder years later, of how much time, energy and love was poured into the marriage. Like a relationship, a diamond ring needs care too. According to Colin Nash of Nash Jewellers in London, Ontario, the first step is to get the diamond ring checked and cleaned every three to six months. In doing so, this is a small part of the insurance that the ring is in tip-top shape. The claws are holding the stone properly, which will prevent the loss of the diamond. The mounting secure and the band is not thinning, which could cause breakage and at worst, loss of the ring itself. If weight loss has occurred and the ring is loose, make sure to have the ring sized, this is one way to guarantee against the loss of a valuable piece of jewellery, not only in monetary value but sentiment too.

The second step according to Colin Nash is to get the ring insured. Again, the investment of months of hard saving for the ring, the purchase and the memories would all be lost if the ring were to go missing or worse, stolen. Break-ins in Canada do happen and the targets besides small appliances and technological items are - jewellery! Jewellery is small and easy to hide on the burglars body and in pockets of clothing.

When the decision has been made to insure the ring, the next step is to have the ring appraised. Get in touch with a Jeweler, who has a Certified Gemologist Appraiser on staff. There are only 14 Certified Gemologist Appraisers in Canada. A Certified Gemologist Appraiser will give an accurate description of the diamonds quality. They will look for stone damage, chips or marks or if claw damage has occurred and will disclose all information to the customer. The piece of jewellery is job-tagged with contact information and cleaned. Once the cleaning is done, they will record the 4 Cs, which are colour, clarity, cut and carat-weight. Measurements are taken and the gold is tested, to record what kind of gold it is, along with the price per carat of the diamond at the time because diamond markets do fluctuate. The Appraiser compiles all this information into a report for the customer. Nash Jewellers also takes a digital photo of the ring up to 10X for a clear and concise image, which they keep on file in their computer system along with a copy for the customers file. This is all done in order to give the insurance company a proper and modern retail replacement value, whether it was lost, stolen or damaged. It also is proof of what the actual piece looks like for insurance and police purposes.

The cost of an appraisal varies from company to company. It could start from $50.00 for the first piece and $40.00 for any additional pieces brought in at the time or could cost more or less.

Most Canadians purchase higher quality diamonds and spends approximately $2500.00 to $3500.00 on an engagement ring, which is a ring with a (0.50) carat diamond to a 1.0-carat depending on wage and financial situation. Insure a ring that is over a thousand dollars. If the ring is less in value, make sure it is listed in the home insurance under Special Items or Personal. Even better, take a digital photo with a optical zoom of the ring and keep this photo and any other information (receipt of purchase) about the engagement ring in a safety deposit box at the bank.

If an appraisal file has been done, call an insurance agent and make sure to insure it for the full amount paid at the time of purchase or the amount appraised. Once insurance on the ring has been put into place, keep all these important papers in a safety deposit box. Any unworn and expensive jewellery would be best kept in the safety deposit box too. Safety deposit boxes are not expensive to keep. They are tax deductible and an investment towards piece of mind, same as the insurance on the ring itself.

The engagement ring is an investment towards a future life together, take care of that investment by following a few simple, precautionary steps towards guaranteeing that the ring will last for years to come and will be passed down to offspring and future generations.

For more information on planning your wedding visit my website http://www.getmarriedcanada.com

Leah Bacon Catlee Blog38909
Betsey Blog64210

Diamonds A Jewel Wearers Acquaintance

You have often heard the saying that diamonds are a girls best friend and that diamonds are forever. These words reflect the awesome power that diamonds hold and their absolute attraction for jewelry buyers due to their glamour and brilliant shine, not to mention their value.

Diamonds are know for their toughness and are not stones that break, chip away or crack easily. They can of course be broken by a single blow. About 90 percent of the worlds diamonds today come from the diamond mines of Africa, while rest of the diamond contribution comes from the mines of Australia, Canada, Russian and South America.

Before you go out to buy diamond jewelry, you need to be aware of the four Cs of diamond jewelry evaluation. The four Cs stand for the diamonds cut, color, clarity and carat weight.

A diamonds cut informs about the level of light reflected by the diamond, it dimension as well as its finish.

When looking for a diamond, check to see that it is colorless, as a diamond with colors is not considered of high value. Furthermore, colors can diminish a diamonds brilliance. Diamonds are graded in a color scale based on alphabets D-Z. D stands for colorless diamonds which are also very rare. E also denotes colorless diamonds, but with a slight trace of color that is only visible to the expert eye of a gemologist. The grade F follows E in the scale except, the trace of color is a little more than whats found in E grade diamonds. Diamonds graded G or H are near colorless and are of good value. Similarly the grade I and J also indicates near colorless diamonds. The grades K-Z are for loose diamonds that have a slight or light yellow color. It best to buy diamonds that fall in the G-I grade because they are of the best value, but finding one in the D-H grades is most optimal.

Most coveted diamonds are the ones with hardly any flaws or inclusions. A diamonds clarity reveals the number, type, size and location of such inclusions in the diamond.

Carat is the weight measurement for diamonds with large diamonds having an exceptionally large carat value.

Information about the four Cs of a diamond is specified in the diamonds grading report. Be sure to have a look at the copy of this report before purchasing your diamond jewelry. The certificate is a proof of the diamond authentication and informs the buyer that it has undergone an unbiased examination by a professional diamond evaluator.

Diamonds are available in a variety of shapes for diamond lovers and collectors. You will see spectacular center pieces in round, emerald cut, heart, marquise, oval, pear, princess, radiant, and trillion shapes. Diamond jewelry can be maintained by gently brushing with a solution thats a mixture of water and ammonia. Avoid exposing diamonds to lotions, perspiration and other household cleaners as they can make the surface very dull. Store them in original velvet boxes to avoid scratching on the surface.

Linda Polansky writes about http://www.jewelryanddiamondguide.com/, http://www.jewelryanddiamondguide.com/Coupons/Blue%20Nile.html and http://www.LatestCouponCodes.com.Allsun Blog92753
Carmelle Blog1114

(Product) Red For Adsense/Adwords

In case you don't know, (Product) Red is an initiative begun by rock singer Bono and Bobby Shriver of Debt AIDS Trade in Africa (DATA) to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Currently (Product) Red has: American Express, Apple Computer, Converse, Motorola, The Gap and Giorgio Armani. Why not Google?

Adwords customers could check a box in their ad display preferences. If they check the "product red" box, the adwords customer is charged an extra fee...... maybe 5% etc., and the extra proceeds go to Product Red's Global Fund to Fight AIDS.

This would be a great tool for:

1. An Adwords Company's Self Promotion: This would make an Adwords ad stand out. It's also good PR for the Adwords Customer's Company.

2. Google's own self promotion. If Google implemented this, it would be all over the news. Google is already the golden boy of the press, but a little more good PR can't hurt. Maybe MSN and Yahoo would try to join and do the same.

3. Financially, the charity could benefit greatly from this. That seems to be the goal of (Product) Red, self interest benefiting charity.

To view the article in its original format with visual examples, click here: http://uberhow.com/content/view/121/20/

Matt Hancock is a web developer and Editor for the website Uberhow. Angele Blog94929
Bathsheba Blog24700

285 Philadelphia Schools Students Awarded $800,000 in Scholarships

The Philadelphia Education Fund has been in operation for 20 years. A nonprofit organization, the Fund partners with school districts (including the Philadelphia schools), other nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals to provide scholarships for students in the Philadelphia schools system. Its purpose is to initiate and implement innovative educational programs, of which they have several. They work to improve the quality of teachers in the Philadelphia schools, conduct educational research, and engage the community in school reform. The Fund is one of the largest of 86 education funds that are affiliated with the national Public Education Network.

One of the programs that are sponsored by the Fund is the Philadelphia Scholars Program that awards Last Dollar Scholarships to Philadelphia schools students. In June 2006, they awarded $800,000 in scholarships to 285 schools students.

Over the last 16 years, the Fund has awarded more than $5 million to students, who attend 15 high schools of the Philadelphia schools system many of these youth were the first in their families to attend college. Scholarships range from $200 to $4,000, helping to fill the gap between a students financial aid package and actual college costs. Scholarships cover tuition, fees, books and transportation. They are renewable for a maximum of six years for students attending accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities across the nation.

Scholarship funding is from Philadelphia donors (many of which are the citys most prominent philanthropists in the financial industry), but includes hundreds of individuals, businesses, and organizations. The most active donor is John C. Bogle, chairman of the National Constitution Center and former chairman and founder of the Vanguard Group. Besides wanting to make college a reality for Philadelphia schools students, Bogle hopes that these same children will one day invest in Philadelphias next generation.

Once such group, which raises funds for the Last Dollar Scholarship program, is the Scholars Advisory Committee. To date, they have raised $16 million. A. Morris Williams, Jr. chairs the committee, is the president of Williams and Company, and was formerly an executive of Morgan Stanley. He and John Neff, a committee member and former managing partner of Wellington Management Company, are the two driving forces behind the Philadelphia Scholars Program. Together, they provided the seed money for the programs launch.

Williams wants to help the Philadelphia schools students reach their goals, hoping to inspire others to support higher education in Philadelphia. Neff wants to give something back to the community that has been so good to him, and sees supporting education as a way to give students an opportunity for a better life.

Most investors in the scholarship program for Philadelphia schools students recognize the something must be done to help the citys youth succeed. Without the opportunity of a higher education for todays students, Philadelphia will be left wanting for an educated workforce in the future. The donors generosity helps the Philadelphia schools students have a better future, as well as helping the city succeed tomorrow.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Becki Blog98181
Amitie Blog50477

Moving Day

I am convinced that moving is one of the most miserable experiences in life. Anyone who tells you differently is lying. It's been several years since we last uprooted, and I had forgotten how horribly stressful it is. Apparently, I had a bad case of moving amnesia because I agreed to this heinous act recently. What's worse is that we scheduled it to occur during the last week of school. You know, life really isn't complicated enough that week with all of the class parties, weddings, and graduations to attend. I thought we could use a little more chaos to spice things up a bit.

The week leading up to the big event was a blur. The phone would ring and I couldn't find it. We ate takeout on the tops of boxes more nights than I can count and I actually sent my son Brandon to the last day of school with his teacher's gift wrapped in UHaul paper. The kids thought it was all pretty cool. After all, it's not every day that you get to build a gigantic fortress with refrigerator boxes in your dining room and then brush your teeth with your finger since Mom can't find your toothbrush.

We moved into our new house the same day school let out. My children, who were so used to a life filled with structure, suddenly found themselves with nothing but free time on their hands and parents who were totally engrossed in the task of changing houses. They helped unpack at first, but soon the novelty of the move wore off. They started to get restless and whiny. All they wanted to do was vegetate in front of the new TV, so I gave in. I turned them loose on their DVDs and video games and, for a while, they were happy little clams. I had so much to do and it was just easier to get more accomplished if they were occupied and out of my hair. So, rather than expect them to pitch in and help me out, I gave them what they wanted. This way, they'd be happy and I could get back to work; however, as the week progressed things were not really getting any better. Instead of thanking me for my gracious and understanding attitude, they became increasingly grumpy, rude and insolent.

They were bickering with each other constantly, and seemingly always underfoot whining about this or that. And of course, I found myself thinking, "These kids have it made! What in the world do they have to complain about? All they do is sit around, doing exactly what they want, while I work my rear end off making this house nice for them!" And then it hit me like a ton of packing tape. That's exactly what is making them miserable.

Even though more TV and fewer expectations was what they said they wanted, it wasn't at all what they needed. I had been allowing my kids to have way too much freedom because I felt so anxious about our move. What's worse is that I was starting to resent them for their lack of gratitude for all of my sacrifice. What was I thinking?!?! Where did all of my ScreamFree knowledge go? I think it was packed away in some box because I certainly wasn't using it. During this time of chaos, the last thing they needed was a weakling of a mom who caved in to everything because she was too tired or overwhelmed to do what needed to be done. Of course, what they needed most of all during this time of chaos was MORE structure. For some reason, I equated structure with rigidity when in reality, structure simply provides a comfortable framework where kids feel safe.

I know that giving in to my children's every whim will ultimately fail, but it is sometimes easier than standing up and being a strong presence with them. In the long term, appeasing such whims doesn't make life easier; it makes it much harder. It may provide a momentary feeling of relief that there's "peace" in the house, but ultimately, it just sets me up for harder battles once I finally do decide to set some limits. My kids were reeling from their power trip and it was time to do something about it. But, how do I stop being an appeasing parent and become an active one?

* I take a step back and really evaluate what pattern is taking place. What specific behaviors and attitudes of my children are making me cringe? How am I helping to create those very behaviors and attitudes? Viewing the pattern with a bit of objectivity allows me to see the bigger picture and it helps me to understand why my kids are behaving the way that they area crucial step to making a lasting change.

* I let go of perfectionism. "All or nothing" thinking gets me every time. I think that in order to have ANY structure in my home, ALL things in my house need to be perfectly organized. Not so. Perfectionism is paralyzing. I have to let go of "perfect" and reach for "better".

* I figure out how I want our time together to look. Instead of strictly focusing on what I don't like about the situation, I think about what I do want. What would realistically make a "successful day"? I have to be careful here not to go to the other extreme and create a boot camp experience for my kids where I am the drill sergeant. To be quite honest, I find myself fluctuating between those two poles more often than I'd like. Finding a flexible balance will be key in changing anything around here.

* I work backwards. Now that I know what I don't like and I know what I would like, what are some specific things I could do that would help change the patterns?

* Finally, I need to realize that there will be resistance. My kids had been living at Hotel Runkel for over two weeks. Of course they are going to buck at the idea of responsibility or structure. That doesn't mean anything. It is their job to test the limits that I set. It is my job to set them anyway.

I actually tried this approach earlier in the week by making a sheet that outlined a couple of daily chores and expectations and taped it to the TV for the next morning, that way, I wouldn't have to keep "reminding" them all day long. It was remarkable how my kids responded, almost as if they breathed a sigh of relief that I was back in control of me and back in charge of our home. Sure, they complained a bit and rolled their eyes, but the mean-spiritedness was gone. They earned TV time by doing chores. They picked up after themselves. They spent time playing piano and riding bikes. The process of trying to be more intentional helped me remember that I can be the calm authority figure that my kids really need.

Sometimes it takes a jolt (or a move) to wake me up and help me realize that things have strayed off course. So, I suppose that for all the agony that moving has been, it ultimately proved to be a catalyst for my growth. The irony is that as I try to put the finishing touches on this article, I am thinking, "All is need is some peace and quiet. The kids are making so much racket cleaning up the kitchen. Maybe I'll start them on a movie so that I can actually get something done."

Jenny Runkel is the co-founder of ScreamFree Living and Director of Content. For more information, visit http://www.screamfree.com Brunhilda Blog81244
Allix Blog492

Low Rate Secured Loans Take Advantage of Cheaper Finance

Taking a low interest rate loan is every borrowers first concern when searching for a suitable lender. But often due to lack of proper knowledge of the loan market, a cheaper loan may become difficult to find. To make the search pinpointed to specific lenders, there are especially designed low rate secured loans on offer. These loans are labeled low rate for their specialty of being of lower interest rate which is crucial for borrowers.

The rate of interest on low rate secured loans remains lower always. Though generally all secured loans come at lower interest rate but the advantage with low rate secured loans is that lenders can provided them at below the average interest rate. The borrower shall have to make some efforts towards it.

Collateral matters the most in taking low rate secured loans. The borrowers any property like home or automobile can be placed with the lender as collateral. Having secured the loan, a lower rate is assured to the borrower. This interest rate is an average rate prevailing in the loan market. Lenders however will reduce the interest rate if equity in the collateral is higher. Usually home has higher equity and secures the loan more for the lender. So higher equity will ensure a low rate secured loan. Another way to the loan is that you should ask for a loan amount which is below the equity. This way also, the lenders feel more secured, as in case of payment default if they have to sell borrowers property, the loaned amount can definitely be recovered. One can borrow low rate secured loans in the range of 5000 to 75000.

Low rate secured loans have this advantage of a convenient repayment duration for the borrowers. If a loan is paid in larger duration spanning over many years then the amount payable towards monthly installments gets reduced and money saved thus can be used elsewhere. Repayment duration for low rate secured loans ranges from 5 to 30 years.

Bad credit borrowers are equally at ease in applying and availing low rate secured loans. All they are required to do is provide proof of annual income and employment to the lender. Bank statements of past many months also are a way for looking into your repayment capacity. But since low rate secured loans are secured by bad credit borrowers property, lenders risks are remote and hence no problem for them in offering the loan.

Preferably apply online for the loan as online lenders approve the loan faster and offer related information without any fee. But prior to applying, compare different loan offers for suitable deal. Low rate secured loans are best source of cheap finance. Avail it wisely after carefully considering every aspect. Pay off the installments in time as this way your credit score will go up.

Andrew Baker has done his masters in finance from CPIT. He works for the LoansFiesta for any type of loans as low rate secured loans, Unsecured debt consolidation loans, secured personal loans, secured homeowner loan in uk please visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk.Alyse Blog62587
Adrianne Blog42295

Family Vacation Deals

Ah, the family vacation. It can strip of you every ounce of patience, and leave you strapped for cash. When all is said and done, you're left feeling more stressed than you were before taking your holidays!

Maybe there is another way. To be sure, traveling with the entire family can be expensive and hard to plan; but there are some holiday destinations that will actually help you get great family vacation deals.

Family Cruises

Cruises are awesome choices for family getaways. There are plenty of deals available, when you know where to look. Search the Internet for cruise websites and you can stumble upon a good deal on a great cruise for your family. Some cruises offer discounts for certain age groups, like "kids stay and eat free" with paid adults. These are the deals that you should watch for. Other package deals can include family-friendly tours and extras, like Disney cruises.

Florida Vacations

If Florida is your idea of a great family vacation, you're in luck. There are great family vacation deals available for all sorts of Florida destinations. Some packages will include free tickets to the most popular tourist spots, like Universal Studios and theme parks. Many hotels included in package deals will provide free meals for kids--and anyone with hungry mouths to feed will know what a huge saving this can be. Most Florida hotels are kid-friendly and welcome families by offering discounted rates and kids' activities.

Air travel

Ask questions when you book your airline tickets. While they may not advertise it, some airlines have deals for young passengers. You may save half or even the full price of your child's ticket when you purchase yours. Other airlines offer special rates for kids under a certain age. These savings can really add up, particularly if you have several children.

Many travel agencies, resorts and airlines offer promotional periods when they will accommodate your entire family for one great price. These special packages are generally offered once or twice a year as a means to promote their businesses. Ask around to see which companies will be offering special family promotions, and when they will be available. If you've already booked your time off, don't be afraid to adjust it if it means saving a few hundred dollars.

If you are still in the preliminary stages of booking your holidays, find out where the family vacation deals are. Locate the big bargains; narrow them down to find the ones that suit your family's needs and fit your budget, then decide together. Some agencies and resorts are so family-friendly, they'll offer tips and tricks to help you find the biggest savings. Do a little research before you book. The time you spend looking for family vacations now will pay off in big savings and a holiday that's truly fun and relaxing.

Nancy Anderson contributes to several online magazines, including http://jebog.com and http://recreation-site.com.Annnora Blog70742
Anjanette Blog3849

Increase Your Web Page (and Landing Page) Conversion with Conversion Rate Optimization

If youre looking for an easy and low risk way to increase your landing page conversion rates, then use the conversion rate optimization strategies outlined in this online guide.

About Conversion Rate Optimization:

Conversion Rate Optimization is the continual process of making your Web Site and landing pages generate better results from your visitor traffic. For example, more leads, opt-ins, and more sales.

Conversion Rate Optimization is also the fastest and easiest strategy to increase your sales without spending more money on increasing your traffic.

In fact, the most successful companies test everything. For example, GoToMyPC.com increased their conversion rates by 400% by testing the following

- Headlines
- Call to Action
- Copy
- Images
- Graphics
- Button Look
- Button Text
- Button Location
- No Links
- Press Quotes
- Testimonials
- Pricing
- Flow Through Process
- And more

Optimizing Your Landing Pages "Conversion Funnel"

If you review your web site statistics (called log files) youll notice the following 4 things are happening on your landing pages

The largest percentage of your visitors are bailing within 0-8 seconds after briefly viewing your landing page.

The second largest percentage of visitors bail when they decide your landing page does not prove compelling.

A small percentage of visitors attempt to convert (buy or use a contact form to become a lead) but fail. Many of these people will call.

A small percentage of visitors convert.

Conversion rate optimization is the process of optimizing your landing pages to minimize your "bail out rate" and maximize your "conversion rate" (CR).

The Top 6 Landing Page Components
To Optimize for Maximizing Your Conversions

The following are the top 6 conversion components that should be tested and improved to boost your conversion rates

Headline - Since your headline is the first line that your visitors will read, the headline of your web page offers the biggest opportunity (about 80% of the opportunity) for improvements in conversion rate. Use headlines that clearly state the biggest benefit(s) that your product offers.

Offer - Since your offer is the call to action that asks your visitors to act (purchase, sign up, opt-in), your offer accounts for the second the biggest opportunity for improvements in conversion rate.

Lead - The lead or first paragraph is the third biggest opportunity for improvements in your conversion rate. Leads must be written with strong benefits that capture your visitors attention and make them want to read more.

Benefits - The benefit bullets (bullet-point format) are the forth biggest opportunity for improvements in conversion rate. List your benefits in the order of your products value hierarchy to your target market. In other words, state your products strongest benefit first, and its weakest benefit last.

Images - The images you use have a big impact on your conversion rates. The best practice is to use images that clearly portray the biggest benefit your product offers your customer (rather than generic "feel good" stuff like unknown logos and clip art). Studies show that product images work best when placed to the left of your product description (or lead paragraph) since it makes it easier to read your copy from left to right. Plus, people like to reads captions under your images almost as much as they read your headlines. So, add powerful captions and make your images clickable to the order/sign up page.

"Look & Feel" - According to a recent study by Stanford University, 46% of Web sales are lost on web sites that lack the critical elements that build value and trust with website visitors. The number one reason the people indicated why they wouldn't buy from a web site was because it had an unprofessional "look and feel" that lacked credibility and did not "feel" trustworthy. Having a professional look, and trust building tools (such as VeriSign and BBBOnline certifications) help convert significantly more of your web site's qualified visitors into new customers.

Other Important Conversion Elements to test:

- Buttons Button text, color, look, etc.
- Pricing
- Formatting and placement of page elements, images and copy
- Navigation links versus no navigation links
- Press Quotes
- Testimonials

Other Conversion Best Practices and Tips:

- Reduce your bail out rate by optimizing your web pages to download within 5 seconds on a 56k modem Test your pages on Andy Kings "Web Page Analyzer" websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
- Add a 1-800-Number and Call to Action above the fold (top of the page)
- Add a Logo and a powerful Value Proposition to the top left
- Instead of letting visitors click off your landing page, put all your information on one page (This tactic alone increased the conversions of a landing page by 55%)
- Use colors that fit your target customers personality

Conclusion:

When you use Conversion Rate Optimization to test and improve your web pages and landing pages you can double your sales (possibly even quadruple) when you add up all the performance improvements. Of course it takes time and work but it's well worth the effort.

If youre truly serious about maximizing your results, continuously test, track and improve the important elements of your web site, landing pages (and your marketing materials).

Matt Hockin is President of Interactive Marketing, Inc., an Internet marketing company specializing in helping businesses increase sales by maximizing website search engine visibility and website conversions through the process of web site optimization http://www.interactivemarketinginc.comBrandi Blog44555
Bellanca Blog91878

Three Auto Insurance Secrets

Want to learn something new about auto insurance? Something that can save you a lot of money or get a claim paid? Forget the usual tips. Check out these secrets.

1. Demand the legal policy minimums if you have no assets. Do you really need a lot of liability coverage if you have no money in the bank? Insurance companies will tell you that you do because you can be sued regardless. It's possible. I can't promise you that you won't be sued and end up paying a chunk of your paycheck to someone for life.

However, honest insurance salesmen admit that people without assets are rarely sued. Lawyers work on a commission in these cases, and won't take a case where there is no money to be collected. In fact, having a bigger liability policy can be an invitation to sue, and it won't protect you from personal liability, because they always sue for more than the policy limit anyhow.

If you have no assets to protect, why buy auto insurance? Because it is a legal requirement. In that case why not just buy the minimum coverage required? But be careful. My own insurance guy lied for years, claiming I had just that, when in fact I was paying for "company-recommended minimums." You might have to push the point, and may even have to sign something saying you understand how risky it is to be "under-insured."

2. Claim diminished value. If you have a collision policy, your insurance company will pay for the repairs after an accident. However, is the financial damage really fixed? Not necessarily. A car that has been in an accident and had the body fixed may look the same, but it won't sell for the same price. Would you pay the same for a car that has been in an accident?

A car that has been in an accident might be worth $2,000 less than a similar un-damaged car. This is called "diminished value," and may be covered by your policy. However, diminished value is often not paid unless you push the point. Get a car dealer to do an estimate of the diminished value if necessary, and present this to the insurance company. You pay for insurance to have your losses covered, and they aren't covered if you aren't paid for this.

3. Lower your premiums by removing kids from the policy. You may have already discovered that you pay a lot for insurance as long as you have driving-age children at home. Even if they are off at school, if their legal residence is your house, you pay more.

However, there is a little-known exception to this rule. If your children are at a college that's more than 100 miles away, you can have them taken off the insurance policy. This can dramatically reduce your premiums. The catch? They are excluded drivers, so you can't let them drive the car when they come home to visit.

These are just a few examples of the auto insurance secrets that insurance companies probably don't want you to know.

Copyright Steve Gillman. You'll find 11 more ways to save money on auto insurance secrets in "Money saving Secrets," a bonus in the "You Aren't Supposed To Know - A Book Of Secrets" package at: http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com.Bobine Blog17327
Bernita Blog69684

How To Watch Satellite & Cable TV On Your PC FREE - Tips

Today you can get instant access to watching satellite TV on your PC but is it all as good as they say. These are how to watch satellite & cable TV on your PC FREE - Tips

NEGATIVES:

For some shows I watch such as my favourite live sport show you have to get it set up 10- 15 minutes beforehand otherwise you not going to get as good of a feed.

As this is not a paid TV cable or satellite service there is buffering involved which means you might have to wait under a minute or two before you can watch a particular program.

Depending on the speed of your computer, if it is a dial up I probably wouldnt advise you to consider this.

POSITIVES:

Over 3000 STATIONS on your PC or Laptop for a one time low fee. That means you can stop paying for high-priced cable or satellite services! Watch LIVE Games (even the games that are not shown elsewhere) - With this software!

There are no subscriptions needed and no recurring charges and the picture is DVD quality.

The choices you get are sports such as ESPN, news, movies, music, weather, kids channels, educational, shopping, clips plus radio stations and much, much more. It works anywhere in the world with no need to buy extra hardware equipment or a PC TV card because the TV channels are streamed through your internet connection. You just need an Internet connection.

Watch TV in English, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Italian, Russian, Dutch and more. You may also browse world TV by regions or by country name you do this by choosing a country and watch there TV programs from that country so many to choose from.

They will be adding many more quality stations in the near future such as ESPN 2, MTV USA, HBO, Playboy TV, Pay Per View, + many more.

There is a forum, which helps you out if you have any questions.

MY CONCLUSION:

Satellite TV for your PC is solely I believe up to your computer if you have dial up I wouldnt recommend it. Otherwise if you dont mine waiting for the buffering to watch your program and also a one time low fee to watch satellite TV on your PC then its forever free instead of paying recurring charges to watch on your TV this is the way to go.

How To Watch Satellite & Cable TV On Your PC FREE - Tips

Tony Pescatore finds and writes helpful information on topics he believes in. To check out how you can watch hundreds of LIVE worldwide channels on your PC, with no subscription payments or any other recurring payments. EVER! go to http://www.tpescatoreproducts.com/Recommends/SatelliteTVForPC/index.htmlAndi Blog76348
Alexa Blog76209

Dont Be a Target: Nine Simple Home Security Tips

Burglars will always go after the easiest target. Not necessarily the biggest house on the blockbut the easiest one to break into. Burglars like dark houses, and they like to get in fast. If your house is well-lit or takes more than five minutes to break into, chances are theyll go elsewhere. If you want to make your house less inviting to burglars, heres how to do it.

Keep the lights on. Its a good idea to invest in security lighting. If your home or yard is kept lit at night, its a definite burglar deterrent. When lighting your home, its important not to make it blaze so brightly it bothers the neighborsbut a downlight over your garage and front doors, uplights beneath windows, and a few well-placed outdoor lamps in the yard can go a long way towards discouraging most break-ins.

Get a good home security system. The best home security systems have an alarm that automatically alerts the police. Motion detectors are useful to install in your yardturn them on before you go to bed at night so they dont go off when you and your family are outside during the day.

Have a thick door with a deadbolt. Your door should be in good repair. It should fit its frame well, with no chinks and no soft or rotting wood in the frame. The best lock in the world wont keep a burglar out if your door isnt strong as well. You should have a deadboltnever rely on those doorknob locks. Get a peephole, preferably a wide-angle one, installed in your door. Its much safer than using a chainstrong burglars can break those chains and push you aside to get in.

If you have a garage, this also applies to the door that leads from it to the inside of your house. Garage doors are often flimsy, with cheap locks. Make sure the door that goes into your house from your garage is just as strong as your outside-access doors, with the same strong deadbolts and peephole.

If you have sliding glass doors, youve probably noticed the locks are weak. Dont depend on a stick set in the door channel. Go to your local hardware store and see what they have for strong locks for these doors.

Dont make it obvious youre away. When you go away on holiday, dont close your blinds any more than you usually do. Have the post office hold all mail and packages so it doesnt collect outside your door. Ask a friend to collect hand-delivered circulars from your doorstep. If youre going to be gone for longer than a week, pay someone you trust to mow your lawn or shovel your driveway.

Many people install timers on the lights in their homes, and set them to go on and off at appropriate times to make it look like youre home. There are lots of other ways to do this as well, like installing motion-sensitive lights outside of your house and putting your radio and TV on a timer so that they go on and off, as well.

Get a home security safe. If you have anything especially valuable in your housejewelry or important documents, for exampleprotect them with a home security safe. These can go a long way toward protecting your peace of mind, as well as your belongings.

Dont show off tempting items. Open your blinds and look in your windowsfrom the street as well as from your yard. Can you see a television, a computer, stereo equipment, or any other valuables from your windows? If so, you may be advertising to burglars without knowing it. Make sure nobody from outside can see any valuable objects in your house. Also, dont leave anything outside in your yard that can be carried offit makes too tempting a target for even casual thieves.

Watch your windows. Make sure your windows are strong and in good repairincluding the frames. In addition, its a bad idea to put a window-mounted air conditioner in a window on the ground floorthese can be easy to push out. Its a good idea to trim shrubs and trees near windows, as these can provide cover for burglars.

Careful with your keys. Dont keep your keys on a ring with your home address anywhere on it. And dont hide an extra key under the doormat, in that flowerpot by the door, or anywhere else outside. You may think youve found the perfect hiding place, but most burglars know where to look. Think about getting a key safe.

Contact your local police. Often, the police will send someone to assess your house and recommend the steps you should take to make your home safer. This is a good thing to do anytime you move into a new house, or if there have been robberies at other homes in your area recently.

Keep your house from being a tempting target. Dont help burglars rob you by keeping your house dark at night, keeping expensive items by the window, or neglecting your windows and doors. Follow these simple tips, and your home will be much less inviting to criminalsand much safer.

Anthony Neary works for http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/ the UKs premier supplier of home and office safes. For more information on a range of security safes visit http://www.thesafeshop.co.uk/Categories/security_safes/Cari Blog24986
Cathee Blog5545

Religious Degrees - Distance Education And Faith

For people of faith who want religious degrees, distance education is a viable option. It's often hard to find faith based education that is convenient. Traditional schools that offer religious degrees may not exist in your community. If they do exist, they are frequently more financially challenged than other schools, and offer fewer classes when non-traditional students can take them.

People of any faith can find distance education particular to their faith. You can learn Hebrew or Arabic online...or you can learn in Hebrew or Arabic online. There are three basic categories of religious education that you can access online.

Religious Degrees From a Religious Worldview

People of faith have a particular worldview, and sometimes you want an education that is consistent with that worldview. For example, an evangelical Christian might want to go to an evangelical Christian school, or an Islamic student might want to go to an Islamic school. For the most part, religious schools don't reinforce biases and prejudices. Instead, they begin with a certain set of assumptions, usually about God and the universe, and learning is shaped by those assumptions.

There are some good reasons to take online classes from these schools. If, for instance, you plan on a career related to your faith, a faith-based degree might enhance your career opportunities. Sometimes people attend religious classes because it's just easier and more comfortable to learn with people who are like you and believe like you do. And sometimes they want to explore their own faith in greater depth, and choose a religious degree program for that reason.

Religious Degrees That Apply Your Faith

Another reason people might want to pursue getting a religious degree is to prepare for a career. It's very common to use online learning or distance education for this. Christians can attend Bible school and seminary through online learning to prepare for a variety of ministry jobs.

People of faith get religious degrees to prepare for other careers, too, such as counseling. A Hindu may choose to get a degree in ayurveda, a vedic system of natural healing that has its roots in Hindu faith. Counseling and ayurveda are both practical degrees that allow you to use your faith in your career.

Religious Degrees for Scholars

Some people pursue religious degrees to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, or to do advanced study in some facet of religion or just to learn more about religion in general. They may or may not practice the faith that they are curious about.

Distance learning is a great way to engage in scholarly religious study. Through distance learning you can not only get a degree, but you can also study with experts all over the world. You can take a class on the Talmud from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, or study the words of Jesus from a Jesus Project scholar.

Whatever your reason for getting a religious degree, distance learning will make it an obtainable goal for you.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of http://www.continuingstudy.com where you can find the best distance learning programs and degrees to suit your needs including online christian education.Beitris Blog24566
Amye Blog27262

California Schools Educators Retirement System And Lionstone Group Create Investment Fund

The California State Teachers Retirement System (CSTRS) is the second largest public pension fund in the nation, providing retirement, disability and survivor benefits to California schools educators. Over 776,000 kindergarten through community college educators are members of the CSTRS, which currently has an investment portfolio of $142 billion.

Keeping quality educators in the California schools is of primary concern to everyone in the state. Without well-educated California schools youth, the city, businesses and economy of the state will suffer. Thus, when Lionstone Group, a research-based real estate investment firm, announced last month they and CSTRS had formed a discretionary $100 million real estate investment fund, the news was well received by everyone. As with any organization, good benefits will attract and keep quality educators in the California schools.

What makes the announcement so exciting is Lionstones track record with another fund it created with the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF). Called the Cash Flow Office One, the fund has consistently exceeded expectations since its inception in December 2002. At that time, OPERF committed $75 million to the fund, expecting Lionstone to invest the capital within 24 months. Lionstone invested over 80 percent of OPERFs capital within 12 months with excellent returns. OPERF expanded its funding commitment in 2004 and now has over $200 million of equity and owns 20 office buildings around the country that are valued at $550 million.

Like OPERFs fund, the California schools educators fund, known as the Cash Flow Office Two, will target high occupancy office buildings in permanent locations across the United States.

CSTRS has committed $100 million to the fund, which can grow to over $500 million over time. Lionstone contributes one percent of the funds total equity. With the combined equity added to debt of up to 50 percent loan-to-value (LTV), the total buying power of the fund is approximately $1 billion.

The Lionstone Group was formed in 2001. It creates national investment strategies using primary research. Dedicated teams execute each investment strategy, including the fund for the California schools educators. Before creating the fund with the California schools educators retirement system, Lionstone refined their investment process to target locations that produce buildings with lower risk factors, according to Lionstone Principal Dan Dubrowski.

The California schools CSTRS Portfolio Manager Michael Thompson stated that the Lionstone management team over the Cash Flow Office Two fund is very entrepreneurial. He added that their skill set will enable CSTRS to continue to grow their core real estate portfolio.

This news gives all California schools educators hope for a better future, knowing they have an excellent resource during their tenure with the California schools and in retirement.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on California schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/California/index.htmlBlondell Blog2012
Britte Blog81146

Maverick (DVD) Review

A 1990's Western comedy featuring Mel Gibson, Maverick was a breath of fresh air when it first appeared in theaters. Unlike most films with a Western setting, this one doesnt take itself too seriously. The product of famed director Richard Donner, whose career spans such diverse and notable creations as Gilligans Island, The Goonies, and Lethal Weapon, Maverick is a uniquely clever and entertaining adventure comedy based on the 1950s television series of the same name. Back then, as in this one, James Garner is the true star

Set in the 19th Century as America expands westward, Maverick follows the life of Bret Maverick (Mel Gibson), an enterprising poker player navigating the dangerous backrooms of Western taverns and saloons. In need of $25,000 to enter a winner-take-all poker tournament, he travels from town to town along the way in the hopes of winning his entry fee. But he immediately encounters Angel (Alfred Molina), a roughneck poker player who tries to kill him...

Also along the way, Maverick encounters Ms. Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), a slick and conniving poker player who picks Mavericks pocket following a brief romantic interlude. Both Bret and Annabelle are bound for the same tournament, and theyre soon joined by Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner), a retired sheriff famous throughout the West for his moral clarity.

As the three travel cross country, they face a series of pitfalls that include a dead coach driver, a showdown with hundreds of Indians, and Mavericks unorthodox financial dealings with an Archduke from Russia. Eventually separated, the three meet once again on the Riverboat Lauren Belle, home of the championship poker game hosted by the Commodore Duvall. Bret and Annabelle both intend to win the tournament showdown, while Marshal Cooper is tasked with guarding the $500,000 in entry fees. With Angel part of the tournament field, Maverick must face down the man who tried to murder him. But its the unexpected actions of a tournament official that really throw things off for our heroes, and when things go awry, Maverick and Marshal Cooper are left to pursue the slickest culprit of all

Long before The Passion Of The Christ, Mel Gibson helped make this gem of a movie. Great entertainment in every sense of the word, Maverick is an unforgettable comedy marked by the standout performances of Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and James Garner. Each of the main characters creates a likeable persona. And what makes this movie an absolute must-see (because the plot leaves much to be desired) is the ability of the onscreen characters to develop a personal connection with the audience. Several scenes from the film are ridiculously hilarious, such as those featuring Mavericks Indian friend Joseph (Graham Greene). Nevertheless, Maverick isnt the type of movie that will win Academy Awards or leave one pondering the fundamental principles of the universe. That said, Maverick does serve the ultimate purpose of the big screen by transporting its audience away from the mundane and recharging the soul with laughter and suspense, and thats what good movies are supposed to be all about.

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one. Source: http://thedvdreport.blogspot.com/2006/02/maverick-dvd.htmlAnna Blog3357
Allie Blog20357

Speaking of Saint Francis.....

I recently purchased a statue of Saint Francis and put him in the humming bird garden, just off a newly constructed patio. The statue continues to transform the entire area. Now when I look at the patio and garden, it feels protected and peaceful. The way the saint looks lovingly downward at the bird in his hand brings solace to the mind who beholds this scene.

Then I went to a nearby church yard and in one of the gardens there was a very old statue of the saint. The look in the downward gaze of both statues can be described as pure humility.

I was dealing with a child abuse case at the time and the child in question was told by the courts that she had to go back and live with the accused who reportedly sodomized her for the first five years of her life.

I kept praying for Divine Intervention in this situation and for the maturity to avoid making judgements and harsh statements that put down the child's alleged abusers.

Remaining nonjudgemental is an exercise in humility. Wasting time and energy visualizing a horrible outcome and railing against the bureaucracy that make these decisions--is a great example of arrogance, by forgetting that the higher powers are working for the greatest good of all concerned.

And thinking further of the simplicity of the Saint Francis figure, who attracted all the animals to his side, I am reminded of the dogs who go with me where ever I move or walk.

The beauty of the animals reminds me to be a channel for Universal Love and Peace.

This is the real lesson in humility.

We are not saints-far from it!! But the thoughts of the following prayer can be a mantra, and a reminder-to treat each person we care for with the highest love and respect.

The Saint Francis Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is giving that we receive; It is pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is dying to self that we are born to eternal life.

--Saint Francis of Assisi

Type this prayer--laminate it--and place it in the pocket closest to your heart.

Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover Your Calling and Destiny." The book is designed to stimulate nurses to love their work and to prevent on-the-job-burnout. Click here to find out how to order the e-book: http://www.nursingcareertransformation.com Visit Kate's Blog: Nursehealers.typepad.com Kate's Lens is now available: "http://www.squidoo.com/katelovingshenk"Beatrice Blog30498
Bernardine Blog30300

Virtual Classroom - A Learning Tool Of Prowess

Why choose virtual classroom?

Web based learning cannot rival conventional classroom training for some very obvious reasons. Since it is mostly delivered through asynchronous communication methods, it provides thin scope for interaction among the learners as well as between the learner and the instructor. It lacks the depth that an instant face to face dialogue can provide, because synchronous mode of learning is devoid of instant responses and interaction. In turn, it limits the comprehension of the student, thus reducing his interest in learning. On the other hand, a virtual classroom rids web based training of such maladies. It is essentially a cyber classroom, where the instructor and the learners can converse in real time. Thus, a virtual classroom tries to simulate in every way it can, the learning platform provided by conventional classroom, and is quite successful at that. Let us have a look at how it genuinely enhances the effect of other learning components in the learning process.

It engenders the sense of community existence among learners

The synchronous mode of communication in a virtual classroom allows immediate feedback on queries, and motivational encouragement, which provides the learners with a sense of belonging to a community. Thus, an instructor can be personally involved with learners during the course of an online chat. On the contrary, content is delivered to multiple recipients in a traditional classroom or asynchronous training mode, making it impersonal. Virtual classrooms have broken free of this stigma by harnessing technology for nurturing social interaction, instead of curtailing it. This sense of a group existence helps students to identify with fellow learners, thus keeping them glued through the course till its completion without allowing loneliness to creep in.

It helps assess learning trends among learners

Similar to a conventional classroom, a virtual classroom provides clues of students performance, interest and activities inside the class. In a traditional classroom, inattentiveness, restlessness, blank or quizzing expressions, or fiddling could be signs of student disinterest and lack of involvement in the course. Likewise, in a virtual classroom, an analysis of the responses and comments of the participants provide substantial cues to the level of interest and comprehension among learners. For example, the frequency of comments posted by a learner or the type of learner queries often gives an insight into the student involvement. Little wonder then, that virtual classrooms beat other components of learning - like web pages, email and forum postings, to enjoy the highest rankings as the most favored tool. And, while all the components together make the learning process more effective, learning initiatives could do well by adding more chat discussions to them.

It allows informative exchange of knowledge

An equal and active participation from both learner and instructor, and a precise two way instructive communication between them leads to the fruition of a learning process. Since asynchronous training leaves the student to flaccidly receive information from the instructor with its one-time, one-way mode of communication, the information flow is essentially one sided, at any given time. This is pure under-exploitation of the recourses thrown up by the developing technology. On the other hand, a virtual classroom assists in a meaningful, useful and informative exchange of notes between instructor-learner, and learner-learner.

It allows learning in an accustomed ambiance

Learning has always been more effective when it happens in a familiar ambience. The comparatively unidentified existence of learners in the virtual space is an added comfort factor. The cumulative effect of this results in an augmented, open and active learner participation in virtual classroom discussions, which certainly beats that in a traditional one. Also most learners are averse to speaking in front of an audience. A virtual classroom removes this hurdle for them, because of which, it has become a boiling pot of information from different sources and is synonymous with increased interaction between peers and learner-instructor. Indeed, a conventional classroom setting could never have dreamed of attaining this. Simply put, a virtual classroom liberates learners from the shackles of geographical distance, discriminations, and inhibitions.

It provides an egalitarian platform for learners

Being devoid of props such as the dais, stage lights, or the front and back row, the virtual classroom is one step ahead of its conventional counterpart, in that it provides a leveled platform for all. There is no raising of hands to answer questions, and learners who answer are not differentiated from others, since there is no standing up required to give answers. Apart from this, learners are spared the hassle of dealing with discrimination on the basis of gender, race, or any physical constraints. And even though the instructor leads the discussion, he is recognized from the learners only by his screen name. Each learner too, has a unique screen name and merit of the learners comments and opinions is the only criterion that separates them from one another. The virtual classroom practically makes learners lose their fear of teachers - that is a part of the traditional classroom set-up - although the instructor remains the guiding force of the whole class.

It allows instructors to experience the joy of learner Nirvana

Instructors of online courses often crib about missing the spark of realization on their students face that ensues a thorough understanding of a concept. But, unlike popular belief, learner nirvana can very well be experienced in a virtual classroom. The nature of learner responses and comments often reveals the comprehension levels of a student, allowing the instructor to enjoy the experience of a learner exactly grabbing the soul of a concept. The experience of seeing a relatively fresh mind imbibe the essence of a concept is like being the hand on the potters wheel. This is the best award for their teaching endeavor, not only because it proves the effectiveness of their teaching method, but also because it displays the perfect camaraderie that is shared by them.

Epilogue

Even though other components of an online learning initiative cannot be sidetracked by virtual classrooms, including more online chat in the courseware explains, improves and strengthens the concepts that are laid down by other asynchronous components. Obviously, a web based learning initiative is incomplete without virtual classrooms.

Vishwanath Shankar has been managing and maintaining online learning management system for the past decade and a half in tandem with experts in web development services. A storehouse of knowledge about LMS (Learning Management Systems), he is aware of the impact aicc LMS distance learning can have on the academic as well as corporate learning. He has been working in close co-ordination with organizations offering web design services to develop user friendly distance learning programs.Almira Blog68567
Amitie Blog50477

4 Good Reasons Why Woodworkers Should Use Diamond Sharpeners - From a South African Perspective

For years, woodworkers have lived with the problems of sharpening their tools on oil stones, water stones and ceramics. Unless they are careful, their sharpeners do not stay flat. This in turn makes sharpening more difficult. These sharpening stones can be slow and it can take 30 minutes to properly sharpen a chisel.

There are 4 reasons why diamond sharpeners have been growing in popularity:

The first reason is their ability to stay flat and not to groove like other conventional sharpeners ( oil stones, Japanese water stones and ceramics). Woodworkers find this feature invaluable. Woodworkers can then focus on sharpening their tools, not the additional task of maintaining a flat surface on their sharpening stones. A consistent flat surface means the task of flattening the back of plane irons and chisels now becomes both fast and accurate.

Secondly, diamond sharpeners dramatically speed sharpening to save time and labour costs. The harder the material being sharpened, the more time saved. It is a well known fact in abrasive technology that the removal of chip clearance and clearing of abrasive particles speed stock removal. Maintaining a constant angle of the tool to the sharpening surface is the key to producing a sharp edge. The much faster sharpening speed of diamond sharpeners, compared to conventional methods makes it easier to keep and unchanging wrist angle. The constant flatness of diamond sharpeners also help maintain the tool angle to the sharpener.

The third reason is their economical benefit in providing optimum control of carbide removal to extend the life of carbide tooling compared to sharpening services with diamond wheels. Diamonds are the hardest material known. They are four times harder than tungsten carbide and so can quickly sharpen carbide router bits and other tooling. Only a little carbide is removed at a time with the diamond sharpener. Because of this, carbide tooling life can be extended 5 to 7 times when sharpened on diamond sharpeners.

The fourth benefit of diamond sharpening stones is the cleanliness. You only need water as a lubricant, no need for the higher viscosity of a honing oil to suspend swarf and keep the abrasive surface clean. There is no chance of oil, carried by a tool that is sharpened, staining or contaminating the work piece.

Diamond sharpeners come in a spectrum of diamond sizes. Typical of most manufactures are the following ranges: 220 grit/9 micron (x-course), 325 grit/45 micron (course), 600 grit/25 micron (fine) and 1200 grit/9 micron (extra fine). Sizes are measured primarily by mesh. Mesh refers to the count of wires per inch in the weave of a sieve for sorting particles. Hence, a larger mesh number designates a smaller particle. Today, high quality diamond abrasive is sized with a more sophisticated technology than the old sieve method by using the particle of Stokes Law settling action. Crystal sizes are also measured in microns.

The micro size used depends primarily on the tool to be sharpened. The 220 grit (x-course) rapidly removes metal and is appropriate for dressing nicked or damaged knives and chisels or for flattening the soles of plane irons. For rapid sharpening the 325 grit (course) is recommended. The 600 (fine) efficiently hones precision tools and refines the edges honed by the 220 (x-course) and 325 (course) grits. Sharpeners with 1200 mesh (extra fine) are used to polish and refine cutting surfaces and cabinet making and machinist tools after stock has been removed by the coarser grits. Good quality diamond sharpeners use uniform diamond sizes to produce a superior finish to woodworkers tools.

Andrew SmitAlvira Blog22121
Cassandre Blog35891

Paydex Score The Secret to Business Financing

As a business one of the most important things to know is your Paydex score. Your company's paydex score is the business equivalent to your personal FICO score, or personal credit score. Knowing what this number is and having the secrets to increasing your Paydex score can mean acquiring the financing needed to start or grow your business and make the difference in achieve your business goals. On the flip side, not managing your Paydex score can cost your business.

The exact definition from Dunn & Bradstreet, or D&B is: The D&B PAYDEX Score is D&B's unique dollar-weighted numerical indicator of how a firm paid its bills over the past year, based on trade experiences reported to D&B by various vendors. The D&B PAYDEX Score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating better payment performance.

The higher the score the better. Now, how do you increase your Paydex score or establish a score if you dont have one yet. First, know what you are doing.

1 Know what your payment pattern means

If you are under the impression you should have the highest Paydex score because you pay before the due date, you are wrong.

The highest scores are given to Companies who pay the bill PRIOR to the invoice being sent. This payment pattern is considered an anticipatory payment pattern. The company anticipates the payment is due and pays it ahead of time. This is the highest responsibility a company can display and will earn high points for your company.

2 Understand what the Paydex score means

So, your business has a paydex score of 75. What does the paydex score mean? Is this good or bad? Well, for this example a 75 Paydex score would be the equivalent of a FICO score of about 700 or above. This is a good Paydex score.

You can use this D&B key to help you interpret the PAYDEX Score.

Key to the D&B PAYDEX Score

PAYDEX SCOREPAYMENT100Anticipate Payment detail may state: payments are received prior to date of invoice (Anticipated)90Discount - Payment detail may state: payments are received within trade discount period (Discount) 80Prompt - Payment detail may state: payments are received within terms granted (Prompt) 7015 Days Beyond Terms6022 Days Beyond Terms5030 Days Beyond Terms4060 Days Beyond Terms3090 Days Beyond Terms20120 Days BeyondUNUnavailableThe payment details section may include the following comments on your payment patterns:

Antic - payments are received prior to date of invoice (Anticipated).

Disc - payments are received within trade discount period (Discount).

Ppt - payments are received within terms granted (Prompt).

Slow - payments are beyond vendor's terms. For example, "Slow 30" means payments are 30 days past due.

Ppt-Slow - some invoices are paid within terms, others are paid beyond terms.

(#) -indicates that no manner of payment was provided; the number merely reflects the line where it appears in the listing. For example, (004) means it is the fourth experience listed.

Payment Commentary - such as "Cash in Advance," "Account in Dispute," "Credit Refused," or "Placed for Collection" may also display next to trade details. "Placed for Collection" means the account was forwarded to a third party for collection action during the past year.

It may also indicate comments like, "seasonal purchasing pattern" if many transactions are recorded in a certain period of time, routinely, during a specific time of year.

You can view a sample Paydex report at www.dnb.com

3 GAIN CREDIT - THERE ARE CREDITORS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A PERSONAL GUARANTEE or PAYDEX SCORE!

There are creditors that will grant lines of credit to businesses without a personal guarantee or a paydex score. This is a great way to establish credit for your business. Gaining a small line of credit with these types of vendors and making anticipatory payments will increase your Paydex score or establish a strong score for your business.

The website www.extremebusinessmakeover.com provides you with a program to build your Paydex score within 90-120 days and will tell you which creditors will grant you a line of credit with no Paydex score required AND no personal guarantee. This program has assisted many companies in not only increasing their Paydex score but gaining substantial lines of credit.

You should know that less than 3% of businesses that attempt to receive funding on their own ever do! If you apply at multiple places without pre-qualifying, you may damage your credit and will destroy your chances of receiving funding from the sources that would have done your deal. It would be in your best interest to consult a company like extremebusinesscreditmakeover.com prior to attempting to gain credit lines.

4 Manage Your Business Credit Responsibly

If you own your own business you are probably not 18 years old anymore and should know how important maintaining good credit is. A strong Paydex score can give you the credit lines you need to increase your marketing effort, buy the needed equipment, get the supplies required to land big clients, and could be the difference in your companies success.

With all that at stake it is of the utmost importance to manage your credit with the highest level of responsibility.

If you are not in a place to make the required payment at least by the due date, then DO NOT MAKE THE PURCHASE ON THE CREDIT LINE.

It would be careless to abuse this credit line since can be such a key to your long term success.

Armed with this information you are on your way to increasing your Paydex score and gaining the credit you need to make your business thrive!

Nicole Anderson offers information about corporate and personal unclaimed money at www.cashunclaimed.com . Would you like to receive your lost funds check from money owed to your company, your family or yourself? A simple unclaimed property search could mean a check in your mailbox. Click on www.cashunclaimed.com for a free money search, that includes all state and federal databases, and locate your missing money today!

Nicole Anderson offers information about unclaimed money at http://www.cashunclaimed.com. Cash Unclaimeds database covers all state and federal databases to ensure any money owed to you is found and offers unlimited name searches to members. Click on http://www.cashunclaimed.com for a free money search and locate your missing money today!Agna Blog22437
Audi Blog6530

Earn Money on Google AdSense using these Three Proven Strategies

Google AdSense is a great program that Internet businesses can utilize to make money. If you want to earn a significant amount of money through Google AdSense then read on. You will learn three proven strategies that will optimize your Google AdSense earnings.

Following are three ways to make money using Google AdSense:

1. Add more messages in your email sequence that is driving customers to your website pages that have Google AdSense advertisements. Increasing the frequency of your email messages will provide more chances for Internet visitors to click on your Google AdSense advertisements.

2. Send out a mass email, solo broadcast. Send out an email to drive traffic to your website page that contains the Google AdSense advertisements. Increase the amount of subscribers you have on your list.

3. Increase the amount of money you earn from the advertisements. For example, certain keywords cost more money in Google Adwords. Therefore, you can write articles that contain these high value keywords. You will earn more money through Google AdSense with these higher quality keywords.

Another strategy you can use is to place the keywords in your Title tag. The first 250 words on your website is the second most important piece of information. Write a line then insert a double space. Place keywords in this space. Highlight the keywords so that it is white. This will cause the keywords to blend into the background. Do not use this for search engine marketing! It will hurt you in search engine optimization. It is only used to increase the price you earn from Google Advertisements. The Google spiders see these keywords. However, the human eye will not detect the keywords.

How do you find the high paying keywords? Use www.highpayingkeywords.com. This service provides you a quarterly listing of the high paying keywords. The service costs you money. However, it is a good investment because Google will not give information about the high paying keywords.

Tip: When you communicate with your list, you need to provide relevant content. Dont just send poor content as filler. Dont just send an article or email message to provide Google AdSense exposure. You need to provide content that is a benefit for your subscriber list.

How many emails should you send? You can send as many emails as you want. Sending out various emails is at your discretion. If you send out several emails per week it may annoy some of your subscribers. However, these subscribers can be deleted. You want to send out as many emails as you need because they are bound to bring in more orders for your product or service. Plus, it increases the amount of money you earn through Google AdSense if your subscribers click on the Google AdSense advertisements.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine's e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.promotingtips.com or http://www.powerfulpromoter.com.Ammamaria Blog80728
Cassey Blog30146

Changing Trends in Patio Furniture

Furniture trends today are global, with influences from all around the world. Furniture today has an international language, from Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and America. The international trends express sophistication to tropical luxury. This extensive influence brings with it both flexibility and simplicity resulting in the modern and contemporary designs. Contemporary is now a commonly used word to convey simplicity of form. The new contemporary furniture designs are modern, minimal, smooth lines, uncluttered, un-fussy, light, and clean.

For patio or garden there are plenty of materials used but teak has always been related with patio furniture because of its unique qualities. Most of the garden or park furniture found in England is made of teak. Teak furniture has been the preferred choice as garden furniture since decades because of the unique characteristics of the teak wood. Teak garden furniture blends the style and design of your patio or garden with the practical durability and resistance to the harsh weather conditions and nicely constructed teak furniture lasts for generations. The designs offered by teak furniture manufacturers were mostly English designs most often called classical designs. These classic designs somehow do not fit in modern contemporary homes. More and more people were getting bored with the teak patio furniture mostly because of its designs. This made teak furniture makers to follow the new demand and adjust itself to the changing trends in the market place.

The good news for teak furniture manufacturers was that there are no hard and fast rules that must be adhered to when it comes to the latest furniture styles. Modern teak furniture should have the ultimate expression of form and function. This made teak furniture makers to manufacture products, which are simple in form yet functional. These new products of teak furniture were welcomed warmly by almost all teak lovers who wanted to have modern designs, which fits with their other home furniture. This gave rise to huge demand for modern contemporary patio furniture.

The most recent trend is to use a diverse blend of designs, with a strong international influence of ideas and options sourced from all over the globe. One of these trends is products made of stainless steel and teak. Stainless steel like teakwood is a long-term investment, as it takes less upkeep and lasts longer. It is fairly lightweight for the amount of strength it provides and is very easy to clean. It is available in a number of shades and styles, making it an aesthetically pleasing option. And, because it is corrosion and rust resistant, it has a much longer lifespan. In addition, stainless steel is 100% recyclable. 50% of new stainless steel is made from recycled stainless steel. This makes it a very environmentally friendly material. It can also be resold as scrap metal, adding that benefit to the investment.

Other outdoor materials like wrought iron, aluminum, synthetic wicker, sling fabrics, marble and stone are also blended with teak. These products have given ultra contemporary look to the teak patio furniture. However the sleek, simple and contemporary designs out of solid teak are still preferred by lot of teak lovers.

It is very important to study carefully before purchasing any of these products because of the difference in materials used. There are hundreds of synthetic wicker producers but only few reliable, proven brands. The stainless steel should be of specific grade for outdoor use and always look for Grade 304 or 316. The anodized or power coated aluminum is the right option for outdoor and one should pay close attention to materials used in any of these products.

Akhter Rasool Ahanger operates a teak furniture business. For more info please visit his website at http://www.shaantrading.comBobbie Blog79833
Cathee Blog75275

Cheap Secured Loan How Cheap Can I Go?

When you hear the word cheap what does it conjure up for you? Can it be the pair of shoes that you are wearing or the new house that you purchased not long ago? So no matter what the product is having something of a better quality but at a cheaper rate, how often would you not jump at the chance to possess something like that. If you are that type of person, then may be it is time for you to look at getting a cheap secured loan. These kinds of loans have been specifically set up to fulfill a persons financial requirements. Often such loans will help a customer to obtain a cheaper and more accessible rate than any other loans that are currently available.

However, a secured loan is a loan where the borrower must place collateral against the amount of the loan that they have taken out. The collateral they use can either be a house, car or any other related asset and works as security on behalf of the borrower. A cheaper secured loan is a secured loan which is provided to the borrower at a lower rate of interest than normally provided by the lender and certainly this type of interest rate is always an added benefit to any borrower. Often these type of loans the lending company or bank will offer the borrower a longer repayment period, which is often an additional benefit to those borrowers who choose to opt for these types of loans.

Often a cheap secured loan can be used for a variety of purposes such as the borrower wants to purchase a new car, or take a vacation or it may be that they want to make some improvements to their home. Some people even use such loans for consolidate debts that they already have into one easy to manage account.

Often such secured loans come at a lower rate of interest than normal loans because they are secured against the borrowers property and will often have the added benefit of a flexible repayment period. With such loans one can often borrower a larger sum of money and the loans offered can range from 5,000 to 100,000. However, the amount being offered really depends on the security being offered by the borrower. As mentioned previously such loans will provide the provider with an extended repayment period and because of this the borrower often gets a cheaper interest rate and can pay the loan back over a longer and more easily manageable period of time. Often the period time in which the loan has to be paid back generally ranges from between 5 to 25 years.

You can easily obtain a cheap secured loan from the many different banks, lending societies and financial institutes that are around. But the best method of obtaining a cheap secured loan is by going online. Using this method the borrower has access to a large number of loans that are available from trusted lenders. This method allows a borrower to look at and read the terms and conditions of the lenders loan facilities and thus make a qualified assessment of all the facilities that are available to them.

Allison Thompson an expert author after becoming a work from home mum who runs a small real estate company in Spain. Due to her involvement in the property market she has carried out extensive research relating to all financial matters. If you would like to learn more, please visit http://www.centrallendingservices.com.Barbey Blog51531
Cairistiona Blog22259

Denver Internet Marketing

If you are reading this, then you probably have heard at least some rumor that the Internet is big business. You may have heard of a lot of things, and you are interested in seeing if you can start a business on the internet. Maybe you already have an Internet-based business and you want to see if you can make that business more prosperous. Maybe you have a business without an Internet connection and you are interested in learning if the Internet can help your business grow. If any of these situations fit you, look at New Medias Denver Internet Marketing experts. We can help you.

New Media has been in the business of helping businesses like yours for ten years. We know what it is like to struggle to maintain a business on the Internet. We have survived the ups and downs of the economy and the Internet troubles. We have learned what helped our business. We have learned what works for other businesses. We can use what we have learned to help YOUR business grow.

We have worked with clients who have hundreds of dollars of business a month. We have worked with clients who have thousands of dollars of business a day. We have clients that fall somewhere between the two extremes. Our experience can help your company see its products or services just as we have helped other companies. We at New Media pride ourselves in our Denver Internet Marketing work, and treat all our clients as though they were our most important client, and, indeed, they are!

At New Media, we understand that your time is money. We work with you to produce a product that satisfies you and we do it within the time available for you. We have a 98% satisfaction rating over our ten years of business. Our clients are surprised and happy that we can produce the quality they need within their timelines. Very few of our clients leave. Many of our new customers come to us because their old company seemed to loose interest in them, once they were paid. We have learned that most companies need some assistance after the initial marketing plan is developed. We believe our customers need our attention and our customers stay with us because we provide that attention.

If you want a company that will work with you to provide you the most knowledgeable, current, helpful information on Internet marketing, come visit our web site and see what we have to offer. Check us out. Tell us what you need and want. See what New Media can do for you. We hope that you will find, like so many other companies have discovered, that we can help you with your Internet marketing plans. We can help you improve your business. You started your business because you had a passion for it. Internet business is our passion. If you arent as passionate about the details of internet marketing as we are, let New Medias Denver Internet Marketing help you grow your business.

This article was written by Sytsma Morris-Reeves. Mr. Morris-Reeves runs NewMediaDenver,an Internet technology company located in downtown Denver, Colorado (http://www.NewMediaDenver.com). Mr.Morris-Reeves is a highly respected Denver SEO Expert since 10 years, and he constantly develops and stays current with all the latest SEO and Link Building Techniques.Cal Blog68275
Brandie Blog88745

Graduate School Admissions

In order to gain acceptance into Graduate School, several requirements or educational items must be met. These items vary from school to school; however, the main ones needed are listed below, with a brief overview of each.

- Transcript -

Colleges need a copy of a students permanent academic records, otherwise known as a transcript. This transcript details the students academic background by listing the courses taken along with the grades achieved in each. So that security measures are enforced and transcripts not altered, these documents need to come from the registrars office of the college or university attended. Some colleges and universities accept telephone orders for transcripts, charging a few dollars each to process the requests and mailing. Others honor online or postal mail requests.

When a student has an original transcript copy with a raised seal on hand, a copy of this may be substituted, depending upon the graduate schools requirements. Interested parties should check ahead first to see which type is needed. Do allow plenty of time for orders to reach destinations, as the process can take many weeks. And do follow up to make sure your transcripts arrive. (Many do not and must be resent!)

- Standardized Test Scores -

The results of standardized tests such as the GRE are required. Depending upon the major area of study, other scores may be needed such as: the LSAT for law school; the MCAT for medical school; the GMAT for business school.

- Recommendations - -

Letters of recommendation are required to help show your good traits and personality, etc. to new prospective school administrators. So choose professors from your past undergraduate years who can write positive letters for your file. Include any from persons with whom research and volunteer work was performed as well.

- Essay -

Most graduate programs seek a personal statement and/or admissions essay to be submitted along with the application. Put a lot of thought and planning into this, using books form the public library to help as needed; creating an outline, draft and final revision copy. Include volunteer and research work youve done and plan to do, any career work, etc. Ask the Graduate School for guidelines and samples.

- MISC -

Some schools require an interview. Seek job application books for tips in this area for what to wear, speaking tips, questions and answer tips, etc.

John DayeCassandry Blog51831
Catrina Blog83352

Philadelphia Schools Partner with the Community College of Philadelphia to Aid High School Dropouts

Dropout rates across the country have been on the rise over the past decade. In school year 2004-2005, an estimated 5,550 students dropped out of the Philadelphia schools. This is the highest dropout rate in the state, about three times higher than the state average.

To assist these Philadelphia schools dropouts and offer them an opportunity for a better life, the Philadelphia schools have partnered with the Community College of Philadelphia, the largest degree-granting institution in the city with over 38,000 students enrolled annually.

According to a report by the American Youth Policy Forum, 75 percent of the inmates housed at our state prisons are dropouts, and 59 percent of the federal prison population are dropouts. Though the Philadelphia schools already have programs in place to aid students currently in school, they knew that more had to be done to aid those who had already dropped out.

Part of the Gateway to College Program, the Philadelphia schools dropouts begin school in the fall of 2006. The program offers dropouts the chance to simultaneously work toward a diploma and associates college degree or certificate.

The college expects to enroll 360 Philadelphia schools dropouts over the next three years. The dropouts must be between the ages of 16 and 20, with at least an eighth grade reading level. They can attend day, evening and weekend classes at the college, with their first semester in small learning groups of 20 students. Classes include the basics of reading, writing and math, as well as a college survival course to help them be successful in their future college courses and a two-hour academic lab each week.

Dedicated academic coordinators act as advisors, mentors and coaches for the Philadelphia schools dropouts. They also assist with student needs issues, such as course selection, time management, and study habits. After the first semester, the Philadelphia schools dropouts take classes with the colleges general student population.

The Gateway to College Program was developed by the Portland Community College and funded by the Bill

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, Which provides free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues.Antoinette Blog3184
Arda Blog71763

That Vital Opening Statement

Many inexperienced speakers rush their presentations because of that fear and dread of standing up in front of a live audience. They cannot wait to bring it to a close.

As long as the message has been delivered and reinforced (usually by distracting and overloaded PowerPoint slides) that's the job done. Thinking about how to win over the audience is the last thing on people's mind but it is absolutely crucial.

It's vital to get the audience on board immediately, otherwise they'll have switched off in the first 5 minutes; that should be regarded as a catastrophe, but regrettably it is alarmingly common.

In recent years I have made a point of asking people what they thought about a presentation that we have all sat through and it is truly horrifying how many people very quickly went off into their own dream world, so dull was the presenter.

It is not uncommon for 100 people to sit through an hour's presentation and only 10 to be still listening after a few minutes imagine all that lost working time.

What are the steps to winning over an audience?

Good audience reconnaissance is never wasted. Find out who they are and what are their expectations.

Imagine a politician addressing an audience of business people all of whom are running small independent operations and that politician's opening remarks being Red tape is strangling this country and impeding the ability of our entrepreneurs to thrive. We will reduce this burden at a stroke by taking the following actions '.

So long as the key message was congruent and beneficial, the audience would be convinced. The rest of the speech will now be so much easier to deliver.

Compare this to a speaker with an audience comprised solely of people working within finance departments being greeted with the remarks this initiative will allow us to reduce those working in finance areas by 50%'. It's not surprising that this is resisted at all costs!

Secondly - when you deliver this audience winning statement look them straight in the eye as you say it and see how the audience rapport builds as they look back at you. Feel the bond forging between the two of you as they do.

Thirdly - when you have finished delivering that winning statement pause briefly to allow the audience to absorb the statement and quite possibly shake their head in agreement.

Fourthly, rhetorical questions is a useful technique to passively engage the audience.

Finally, and for speeches lasting over 10 minutes; use humour to lighten the mood. This will ensure that the attention of the audience never drifts off.

Knowing that you have won an audience over is one of the best feelings in the speaking world.

Copyright (c) 2007 The College Of Public Speaking

Vincent StevensonAnnabell Blog2058
Beitris Blog24566